Learn Hardcore Turkish: Büyük projeye başlamadan önce, öngörülü bir plan hazırladık. - Before starting the big project, we prepared a foresighted plan.

In Turkish, when you talk about starting something with the verb başlamak (“to start”), the noun typically takes the dative case to indicate the target or direction of the action. “Projeye” comes from “proje” with the addition of the dative suffix -ye (adjusting for vowel harmony), meaning “to/for the project.” This shows that the big project is the context or aim of the starting process.

What is the function of “başlamadan önce” in the sentence?

“Başlamadan önce” is an adverbial clause that means “before starting.” It is constructed by taking the verb başlamak (“to start”) and adding the negative participle suffix -madan to form “başlamadan,” which implies “before doing” or “without starting.” When followed by önce (meaning “before”), it clearly sets the temporal context for the main clause.

Why is there a comma after “başlamadan önce”?

In Turkish, when an introductory subordinate clause—such as a time clause—precedes the main clause, it is typically followed by a comma to separate the two parts. Here, the comma after “başlamadan önce” helps clearly distinguish the time-setting portion from the main action of preparing the plan.

How is the subject “we” expressed in the verb “hazırladık”?

Turkish verbs are conjugated to indicate the subject, which means that explicit subject pronouns are often omitted. In “hazırladık,” the suffix -dık indicates past tense for the first-person plural (“we”), so although the word “we” does not appear separately, it is understood from the verb ending.

What does the adjective “öngörülü” mean, and why is it used with “plan”?

The adjective öngörülü derives from the noun öngörü (“foresight”) combined with the suffix -lü, meaning “having” or “characterized by.” When paired with “bir plan” (“a plan”), it emphasizes that the plan was prepared with foresight or careful consideration. This gives the sense that the plan was thoughtful and anticipatory.

How does vowel harmony affect the suffix in “projeye”?

Vowel harmony is an important aspect of Turkish phonology. The dative suffix can appear as -e or -a depending on the vowels in the word it attaches to. In “proje,” the vowels and the overall sound pattern call for the suffix variant -ye (a form of -e) to maintain a smooth, harmonious sound according to Turkish vowel harmony rules.

Is it common to use both the suffix -madan and the word önce together in Turkish?

Yes, it is a common and idiomatic construction in Turkish. The combination of the verb in its “-madan” form with önce creates a clear temporal clause meaning “before doing something.” Although it might seem redundant from an English perspective, this pattern clearly delineates the order of actions in Turkish.

How does the sentence structure differ from English, and what should learners keep in mind?

In Turkish, time phrases or adverbial clauses like “Büyük projeye başlamadan önce” usually come at the beginning of the sentence, followed by the main clause. This is quite similar to English when using phrases like “Before starting the big project.” However, Turkish relies heavily on context and verb conjugation to convey the subject (in this case, “we” in “hazırladık”), so learners should pay attention to the verb endings rather than expecting explicit pronouns.